Gemotions

“Well, this is just great,” she said, her voice flat, devoid of any emotion. She stared at the time capsule she’d dug up in her garden. She had been intending to plant roses. The small, tarnished metal box was clearly not a recent addition.

Inside, she found a series of letters addressed to a name she didn’t recognize, but the handwriting was definitely hers. Each letter contained a detailed account of a life she didn't live, a love affair she never had. A photograph showed her in a place she’d never been, with people she’d never met.

She felt a slow, creeping sensation of unease beginning to envelop her. She dropped the letters, her fingers numb. It was like reading about someone else's life, only to discover that someone else was… her. A wave of dizziness washed over her. She grabbed the edge of the box for balance, her gaze flitting wildly across her perfectly manicured lawn, the bright afternoon sunlight.